As the Longhorns turn the page to the UTSA Roadrunners, it’s a good time to highlight one of the most important pieces to their success. One of the plagues during the Sarkisian tenure at Texas has been penalties. Through two weeks, that has been the least of Texas’ problems.
Last season, Texas ranked 132nd of 136 FBS teams in penalty yards per game, averaging 69.7 yards per game. In both 2023 and 2024, they finished 73rd in the country(~52 yards/game). Through two games this season, Texas ranks 4th in the country, averaging just 23.5 penalty yards/game.
In 2025, #Texas ranked 132nd out of 136 teams in penalty yards per game at 69.7 per game. It’s only been two weeks, but so far the Longhorns rank 4th in the FBS with 23.5 yards per game. Definitely
an encouraging start to the year.
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) September 14, 2026
The Longhorns have earned six penalties this season, none coming against the first team offensive line, something that plagued them last season.
Two penalties for Texas tonight.
— HornSports (@HornSports) September 13, 2026
Two.
And zero on the offensive line.
Now, let’s say the obvious: there is still time for it to become a problem. However, last season they collected 17 penalties for 165 yards in the first two weeks. In 2024, it was 10 penalties for 70 yards. Finally in 2023, they racked up 9 penalties for 90 yards. Overall, this was a known issue at this point in the previous three seasons. To continue this success, the Longhorns will need to keep playing disciplined but they’re off to a phenomenal start.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Has Texas Longhorns football fixed last year's penalty problem?
